Uhuburg Castle
The Scoop About Us
Building the Castle
The Man behind the Castle
Bob has long been a designer, builder, owner & operator of unique projects and businesses. Prior to dreaming up castle plans, Bob was in the business of tall ships. Before retiring from ships and the sea, Bob had built 6 sailing vessels, 5 of which were businesses. The final ships were two sister ships, both 150 foot, 4 masted vessels with capacities of 150 people each for day sails that were based in Chicago, Illinois. He was driven by the pursuit of an interesting, adventurous life and his ability to share the beauty of sail with the public (and his family's willingness to work in the family business!). After his daughters left the business in their early twenties, he and his wife continued to operate the vessels for a few more years until they sold the ships and business, ready to move to the mountains.
Bob is and always will be a dreamer. Backed by his family and creative ingenuity, he is thrilled to have landed with his wife of 40+ years, Janine, in the mountains in which he spent his formative highschool years while enrolled in Rabun Gap Nacoochee School.
To Dreamers
A note for the dreamers and those tempted to dream: Do it. Pursue the things you dream of and do it by getting creative. There is a way through obstacles and adversity. Bob still recalls the emotions of being told he'd have to repeat 5th grade because of his reading skills, the empowerment of using the word "bed" to break through the difficulty of dyslexia, the trickiness and shifts of his young family life, and, decades later, teaching himself the maths of nautical engineering and then teaching it to coast guard inspectors! Where there's a will, there's a way.
The Marthai Family
Janine is the amazing woman behind the dreamer, and she is the backbone of the family and the business financials. Janine & Bob have two incredible daughters, and five lovable, squeezable granddaughters who are growing up understanding that their Opa is building Uhuburg Castle for them ❤️
In Summary
Bob is an avid contra dancer, serves on the Helen Chamber of Commerce, has a PhD in Psychology, a (now expired) 500 ton Captain's License, and a deep desire to share the things he dreams of and builds. Come to Uhuburg; the Castle he built for all of us.